The smallest countries

People form states even on tiny bits of land. And these countries are gaining world recognition, unlike some dwarf entities, participate in world communities. Below we will talk about the 10 most tiny states in the world, the area of ​​each of which is less than 200 square miles. Even Singapore was not included in this list, since with its area of ​​637 km² is a giant relative to these babies.

Vatican City (0.44 km ²).

I must say that this state is certainly the most influential among all the kids. The Vatican is an independent territory of the Holy See of the Catholic Church. But this religion unites about a billion followers around the globe. The size of the country is comparable to the golf course, and it is located in the territory of Rome. The form of government here is an absolute monarchy led by the Pope. The population of the Vatican is 830 people, the inhabitants of the country are the minister of the Catholic Church, who has a special passport. The state is guarded by its own army, the oldest in the world. The Swiss Guards were formed in 1506 by merchants. It is traditionally served by about one hundred single citizens of Switzerland. The official languages ​​of the Vatican are Latin and Italian. The economy of the state is unique – it is the only non-profit and planned in the world. The budget of the Vatican is about 310 million dollars, the money goes to the country mainly due to the donation of Catholics from around the world. Impressive means of tourism. But the Vatican does not collect taxes from its spiritual citizens at all.

Monaco (2,02 km ²).

This country due to its size can be considered the most populous on the planet. On a square kilometer here there are about 17800 inhabitants. Independence Principality received in 1297, since then the dynasty Grimaldi, whose roots lie in Genoa, rules. Although the head of state is the prince, he shares the board with the National Council. It is interesting that in the country there are 5 times more visitors than native people. The fact is that in Monaco for a long time there was no profit tax at all. That is why the richest businessmen came to live in the state. When France revealed dissatisfaction with such a move of its entrepreneurs with its funds to a neighboring country, a profit tax was introduced. True, only for non-indigenous residents. Monaco has unique demographic and social indicators – the average life expectancy here is 80 years, and the literacy of the population is 99%. The number of jobs in the country exceeds the number of residents. There are also in Monaco army, its strength is 82 people. This is the only country in the world that has more than 85 regular military units.

Nauru (21 km ²).

This island state is the smallest, located in the middle of the ocean. This is the only republic in the world that has no own capital, there is no capital here. And there are 13 thousand people on the island. In the 1970s, Nauru, unexpectedly in terms of income per capita, suddenly became one of the most advanced on the planet. The phosphates found on the island brought in a year 13 thousand dollars per inhabitant. The authorities were able to employ all citizens, introduce free education and medicine. True, the islanders did not appreciate the blessings – only one third of children went to school. When the phosphate stocks were over, it turned out that the government had not taken care of the future. The island turned into a wasteland with a depleted land and mined mines. In addition to debt, Nauru also faced a social problem. Most residents of the country (90%) suffer from obesity. Has led to this slow way of life, excessive consumption of alcohol and fatty foods. Also on the island is the highest level of diabetes, 40% of the country’s population suffers from it.

Tuvalu (26 km²).

This state is located on 5 atolls and 4 islands of the eponymous archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. There are 10.5 thousand people in the country.Considering the pace of the rising waters of the World Ocean, in 50 years the island country can completely go under water. However, even now in Tuvalu there are a lot of problems – lack of drinking water, erosion of the banks, population growth. The official head of state is the British monarch, but formally Tuvalu is governed by the prime minister. There are no political parties in the country, like the army, but there are police. Tuvalu became one of the few states that recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The economy of the country is based on agriculture. Tuvalu itself belongs to the countries of the fourth world due to poverty.

San Marino (61 km ²).

This country is located on the slope of Mount Titan, in the heart of Italy. The population of San Marino – 28 thousand people, the state language, which is not surprising, Italian. The inhabitants of this country are proud of the fact that it is one of the oldest in Europe. According to the legend, San Marino was founded in 301 by the stonemason Marino, who was hiding from the Roman emperor Diocletian. Here formed a Christian community, which received the land as a gift from the former owner. The territory was originally called the “Land of Saint Marino”, that is San Marino. Due to its poverty and uneasy location, the state was able to maintain its de facto sovereignty. Since 1600 there is a constitution here. San Marino is a republic governed by the Grand General Council and the two captains-regent appointed by him. In the middle of the last century, San Marino was one of the smallest countries in Europe. But since then the situation has been corrected, including thanks to tourism. The country produces and exports paints, wine, ceramics, building stone and chemical products. Agriculture is developed here. In terms of GDP per capita, San Marino is among the ten most developed countries in the world.

Liechtenstein (160 km²).

This small state, inhabited by 36 thousand people, is located in the Alps, between Austria and Switzerland. The name of the country comes from the ruling dynasty of Liechtenstein. The feudal disunity of Germany helped to appear in the light of the small principality in 1719. The capital is the city of Vaduz with a population of 5 thousand people. Today the country is inhabited in addition to indigenous Alamans mainly Germans, Austrians and Swiss. One third of the residents are foreigners. And the state language is German. The Principality is a fairly developed state where financial services are developed and a high standard of living is present. The state delivers for export microchips, dental instruments, food products and even postage stamps. The country pays much attention to the culture influenced by its neighbors. There are museums and music organizations.

Marshall Islands (180 km²).

This state is located on an archipelago of 29 atolls and 5 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The population of the country is 56 thousand people, and the official language is English. The archipelago in 1788 was explored by the English captain John Marshall, who transported the prisoners to Australia. It was in honor of the island and were named. The country gained independence in 1986, although formally this republic is still under British jurisdiction. The economy is largely similar to other countries in Oceania – dependence on US and Asian aid, a shortage of specialists, remoteness from the markets. The main sectors of the economy in the country are services and agriculture. The country exports phosphates, fish, copra. Recently, tourism has been actively developing. Low taxes have made the state also a popular offshore company. Saint Kitts and Nevis (261 km ²).

.

This state of the two islands is located in the eastern part of the Caribbean Sea. About 50 thousand people live here, the official language is English. Saint Kitts and Nevis are the smallest state in the entire western hemisphere, both in terms of area and in number. In 1983, the islands gained independence.The economy of the country is based on agriculture and tourism. Here grow sugar cane, cotton, palm trees and pineapples. The country exports sugar, shellfish, light industry goods and electronics. There are two airports at once on the islands. Due to the fact that the country has free and compulsory primary education, literacy reaches 97%.

Maldives (298 km ²).

This state is located in South Asia on a group of 20 atolls. The population of the republic is 395 thousand people. There is only one city and a port, it is also the capital of Male. The country gained independence from Great Britain in 1965. It is administered by the President and the Parliament. The official language in the Maldives is Dhivehi. The economy is based on the service of tourists (which brings 28% of GDP) and fishing (70% of total exports). But agriculture is poorly developed, most food products are exported. Residents of the Maldives in the bulk of them profess Islam, while Christianity is oppressed.

Grenada (340 km ²).

This is an island nation located in the southeast of the Caribbean Sea. It is based on the island of Grenada and the southern part of the group of Lesser Antilles. This land was discovered by Christopher Columbus during his third voyage to America. The hosts of the island were the French and the British, until in 1974 Grenada gained independence, remaining in the British Commonwealth. The population of the country is about 108 thousand people. The economy is based on tourism, Grenada is also known as a major offshore company. There is no army as such in the country, England assumed responsibility for the defense of the state. But there is the police and the coast guard.